Colonial Period

Colonial Unit

John Smith & The General History

John Smith: bio notes • English soldier and adventurer • Sailed in late 1606 for America • Southern colonist • First man to successfully promote the permanent settlement of America • Founded Jamestown, VA – the first English colony

• Gave New England its name • Captured by Indians in VA (leader = Powhatan) • Rescued by Powhatan’s daughter, Pocahontas, and made Powhatan’s “son” • Wrote The General History (1624)

Bio, cont… • Smith’s writing encouraged people to settle in America • Appealed to the sense of personal and national glory • Appealed to the hope of economic advancement

• Writing aimed to clear up myths about America (specifically w/ The General History) • learned that you need patience, a sense of glory, an experienced commander, and hard work to make America thrive

The General History: the basics • Set in VA • Written in third person to appear more objective (as if he is telling someone else’s story as opposed to his own) • Writing is very verbose (wordy) and descriptive PAY ATTENTION AS YOU READ!!!

“What Happened Till the First Supply” • Within 10 days of landing, the men are weak, sick, exhausted, and hungry (50 people died in the 1st 4 months) • While the ships are there the men have ample food and supplies • When the ship leaves the common kettle dwindles and the president keeps the “good stuff” for himself • President = Wingfield

• Wingfield was removed from power because he acted selfishly (hoarded food and tried to escape with one of the small ships) • He was replaced with Ratcliffe • At this point all of the food is gone, the ships have left shore, and the Indians are lurking

• Smith attributes the Indians’ change of heart to God’s blessing. • The Indians fed the colonists instead of killing them. “…when God, the patron of all good endeavors, in that desperate extremity so changed the hearts of the savages that they brought such plenty of their fruits, and provisions, as no man wanted” (17).

The ill-advised journey… • Smith considered this journey to America illadvised because it – – – –

was unfamiliar territory was not necessary to their well-being wasted time (very long journey) was not well provided for

• Captain Smith (John Smith, the author), sets out to explore the Chickahominy River and is taken prisoner by Indians • Powhatan, Indian chief, is characterized as brave, strong, intimidating, wise, respected, wealthy and generous • Irony = though Indians previously had a change of heart, they were not sufficiently impressed with Smith to spare his life (they tied him to a tree in preparation to kill him)

• Once they bring him back to Powhatan, Pocahontas (Powhatan’s daughter) ultimately saves Smith’s life • Smith gives Powhatan two guns and a grindstone • Powhatan bestows Smith two things: the country of Capahowosick and the respect of making Smith his “son”

Upon Smith’s return • Colony is in chaos • Ratcliffe is preparing to flee (like Wingfield did before him) • Colonists tried to put Smith to death for the deaths of Robinson and Emry (see page 18)

The Puritan Philosophy

Basic Timeline 1630: The Great Migration to New England (Puritans)

1690

1745 The Great Awakening

1636: Harvard College founded

1692: The Salem Witch Trials

1620: Mayflower lands (W. Bradford) with 100 pilgrims

The Puritan Age

Puritanism: a definition • As a religion it stems from Roman Catholic Catholics Church of England (Anglican) Puritan (to purify) • As a way of life it is based on God and his teachings •Puritans lived in a THEOCRACY – Church = » Elders » Ministers = » Bible teachings

State

government/law

Puritan Views: • View of God – – – –

All-powerful All-knowing Revengeful Just/fair

• View of Man – Sinful – Unworthy of salvation

•View of Nature - Used by God as a way to punish or reward man

Puritan Tenets (beliefs): 1. The Bible is the inerrant (without errors) word of God and an outline for living 2. Special people (good Puritans) have been chosen by God to carry out certain actions 3. Your eternal destiny is decided before you are born. How you live life hints to this destiny. 4. In all aspects of life, be pragmatic (practical) and avoid frivolous (unnecessary) activities. 5. “Work is necessary and good for you.”

Puritan reasons for writing: • Puritan literature is both PRAGMATIC and THEOCRATIC • Reasons for writing are – – – – –

Loneliness To describe the new land For support from Europe To explain action (esp. W. Bradford) For religious purposes (esp. J. Edwards)

Jonathan Edwards & “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”

Jonathan Edwards: bio • Born in East Windsor, Connecticut • Puritan minister • Believes that everything in God’s universe exists for some purpose (stated @ age 11) • Went to Yale College @ 13 • Early 20s he married Sarah Pierrepont, a woman as absorbed in God as he • Was an important part of the Great Awakening (1735 – 1742)

Bio, cont. • The Great Awakening was the attempted revival of Puritanism • “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” was a powerful sermon that moved many people  it “aroused a listening frenzy” • 1750 – Edwards was dismissed as preacher of his Northampton church because of his insistence on grace as the essence of religious life

“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” • Edward’s sermon begins with a thesis – God is allpowerful and keeps you from harm • He attempts to persuade his congregation through fear • Humans, his congregation, take their good health as a sign that they will be kept from hell • In reality, if it were not for God, all would fall straight to Hell • “…wickedness is as heavy as lead” – A simile comparing wickedness to a tangible (touchable) item – Lead drops just as people weighted with sin would

• Man’s attempt to keep out of Hell is ineffective – Edwards compare it to a spider’s web stopping a falling rock – impossible

• Imagery – black clouds of God’s wrath, full of storm and thunder (meant to instill fear) • God keeps the storm from rushing upon you • The wrath of God is like great waters dammed; His power, over time, builds • God may temporarily withhold his vengeance, but your guilt builds greater and greater

• God is the only one that keeps you from death • YOU=spider, loathsome insect, hateful venomous serpent • If you are not born again (achieve grace) then you are in danger of receiving God’s wrath • Not all people have the opportunity to repent for their sins; those that do are lucky • Edwards end with hope for his congregation to receive salvation